Baker had made just 7-of-32 shots in his previous four games but
knocked down 8-of-15 in 26 minutes against the 76ers, including
a 16-footer from the left sideline that put the SuperSonics
ahead for good, 81-79, with 2:27 remaining.

After Rodney Buford missed a 3-pointer, Payton hit one to push
the lead to 84-79 with 1:47 to play.

"We are just executing right now," Payton said. "We are being
really patient and not coming down and putting up quick shots.
We are doing things that we are supposed to do."

Seattle is 3 1/2 games from the eighth and final playoff spot in
the Western Conference, but also is 2 1/2 games behind the
ninth-place Houston Rockets.

"If we had done this earlier and beat the teams we were supposed
to beat then it would be more satisfying," Payton said. "We're
winning games but we know we have to win basically all of them
to get in it."

Aaron McKie scored 21 points and Dikembe Mutombo added 14 and 10
rebounds for Philadelphia, which again was without injured
All-Star Allen Iverson and became the last NBA team to lose
three straight games this season.

Eric Snow had 14 points and nine assists for the Sixers, who
shot 46 percent (33-of-72) but lost for the eighth time in their
last nine games in Seattle.

McKie sank a 3-pointer to pull Philadelphia within 84-82 with
1:21 to go. Twenty-one seconds later Patterson hit a layup to
give Seattle an 86-82 lead. After a timeout, George Lynch missed
a jumper, Payton knocked the rebound from Snow and Brent Barry
leaped on the loose ball and called timeout for Seattle.

"We've got to learn to get everyone involved offensively," said
Lynch, who had seven points and 13 rebounds. "We've got to play
inside-out. We're not a jump-shooting team. We're not playing
the way we have been playing all year. We got away from playing
as a team and we aren't playing on both sides of the ball."

On Seattle's next possession, Payton passed up a shot and Baker
hit a 20-footer from the top of the arc for an 88-82 advantage
with 29.3 seconds left. Snow made a 3-pointer and layup around
1-of-2 free throws by Payton, leaving Seattle with an 89-87 edge
with 13.9 seconds remaining.

"We are just concentrating on trying to play hard and that is
starting on the defensive end," Seattle coach Nate McMillan
said. "It's carried over to the offensive end. We've shown a
lot more patience offensively and the guys are playing really
good baskteball right now."

Shammond Williams made a pair of free throws to give the Sonics
a four-point lead 12.3 seconds left. After missing a jumper,
Snow got his own rebound and made two free throws to cut it to
91-89 with 4.3 seconds to go. But Payton did the same for the
final margin less than a second later and Buford missed a long
3-pointer as time expired.

Sixers coach Larry Brown underwent tests at a Philadelphia
hospital earlier in the day that confirmed he has acid reflux
and a hernia. His condition will be treated with medication and
diet and he will rejoin the team in Phoenix on Friday.

"I just thought our turnovers in the second half (16) really
hurt," Philadelphia assistant coach Randy Ayers said. "We had
opportunities to convert in certian situations and tried to
force the issue too much. You can't do that on the road. Their
bench played extremely well. I think they scored about 50
points."

Mutombo had 11 points and six boards in the first half when the
Sixers took a 48-45 lead.

Philadelphia's biggest lead was 55-45 on a pair of free throws
by McKie with 9:57 left in the third. Rashard Lewis, who had 10
points, made a 3-pointer to cap a 9-2 burst and pull Seattle
within 61-60 with 4:42 remaining in the third.

The Sonics closed the third with a 9-1 spurt, grabbing a 69-66
lead when Williams made a basket with 3.5 seconds to play.